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Ab Kettleby

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Description in 1877:
"AB-KETTLEBY, a parish and a pleasant village and township, on an eminence in Framland Hundred, Melton Mowbray Union and County Court District, is three miles N.N.W. of Melton Mowbray, and 15 miles S.E. of Nottingham; it is situated on the turnpike between the two towns, and on the southern acclivity of the red-sandstone hills which bound the Vale of Belvoir. Its parish, including Holwell township, contains 2,920 acres, and had 349 inhabitants in 1871; its township comprises about 945 acres, and has 202 inhabitants."
White's "History, Gazetteer and Directory of the Counties of Leicester and Rutland. 3rd Edition 1877"

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Cemeteries

  • The Leicestershire & Rutland Family History Society have published details of Ab Kettleby burials from 1813 - 1865 on microfiche. (Ref" 800F)
     
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Census

  • The parish was in the Clawson sub-district of the Melton Mowbray Registration District.
     
  • The 1851 Census for Leicestershire has been indexed by the Leicestershire & Rutland Family History Society. The whole index is available on microfiche. The society has also published it in print.
     
  • In 1935, the parish was transferred to the Melton and Belvoir Registration District.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
     
Census
Year
Piece No.
1841H.O. 107 / 587
1861R.G. 9 / 2302
1871R.G. 10 / 3296
1891R.G. 12 / 2545
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church was dedicated to Saint James the Greater.
     
  • The church was built in the Norman period.
     
  • The church was restored in 1853.
     
  • The church seats 210.
     
  • Due to structural problems the church was closed in 2006.
     
  • Tim HEATON provides a photograph of St. James Church on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2012.
     
  • Tim has another photo of St. James Church surrounded by trees on the Geograph site, taken in July, 2006:
     
  • Roger TEMPLEMAN has a photograph of the Tower and spire of St James's Church on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2016.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1580.
     
  • The Society of Genealogists holds copies of records from Ab Kettleby Parish Church including microfiche copies of baptisms from 1580 - 1891, marriages from 1580 - 1753 and burials from 1580 - 1910.
     
  • The church was in the rural deanery of Framland (third portion).
     
  • The Wesleyan Methodists built a large chapel here in 1843.
     
  • Tim HEATON provides a photograph of the Wesleyan Chapel on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2006.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the Wesleyan Datestone on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2016.
     
  • The Primitive Methodists built a chapel here in 1835. A new one was constructed in 1870.
     
  • There is, at present, a small Methodists chapel on Wartnaby Road.
     
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Civil Registration

  • Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
     
  • The parish was in the Clawson sub-district of the Melton Mowbray Registration District.
     
  • In 1935, the parish was transferred to the Melton and Belvoir Registration District.
     
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Description & Travel

Ab Kettleby is a township and a parish which lies 117 miles north of London and about 3 miles north of Melton Mobray. The parish covers 3,027 acres. It is not unusual to see the name rendered as one word: Abkettleby

If you are planning a visit:

  • By automobile, take the A606 northwest out of Melton Mobray for just over two miles to reach the village of Ab Kettleby.
     
You can see pictures of Ab Kettleby which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

  • Traces of a Roman pavement were found beneath the churchyard, telling us that the parish was occupied prior to 400 AD.
     
  • For many centuries this was prime grazing land and most of the occupants were graziers or smallplot farmers.
     
  • The Holwell Iron Company processed local ironstone from the surrounding area.
     
  • The Holwell Branch of the Nottingham and Melton Railway ended at Ab Kettleby. Following the end of iron making at Holwell in 1962 the line lost most of its traffic and was closed in 1963. A book detailing the history of the railway has been published on the web.
     
  • Stilton cheese was made in this parish.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the The Sugar Loaf pub. on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2016.
     
  • And the Sugar Loaf pub. has its own website.
     
  • These are the names associated with the Sugar Loaf pub. in various directories:
     
Year Person
1849John JOHNSON
1881Austin BROWN
1912Samuel CLIFT
1925Samuel CLIFT
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Manors

  • The Manor House dates from the 17th century.
     
  • The Manor House is a Grade II structure with English Heritage.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the The Manor House on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2016.
     
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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.
     

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK724229 (Lat/Lon: 52.798812, -0.927621), Ab Kettleby which are provided by:

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Military History

  • There is one Commonwealth War Grave in the churchyard from World War I and one from World War II.
     
  • Tim HEATON has a photograph of a World War II PW 3/22 Pillbox on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2006.
     
  • Sam TAIT has another view of the World War II PW 3/22 Pillbox on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2007.
     
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Military Records

These are the fallen in the Commonwealth War Graves in St. James churchyard:

NameRankUnitDiedFamily
Frank STAPLEFORD
 
private51st Grad. Bn , Leics. Rgmt.20 Oct. 1918Son of Mrs. Elizabeth BUSWELL
Frank TURNERfusilier6th Bn. Royal Welch Fusiliers11 Dec. 1943Son of Josiah an Jessie TURNER.
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Names, Geographical

  • In the 1086 Domesday Book the name is given as "Chetelbi".
     
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Politics & Government

  • The parish was in the Framland Hundred (Wapentake) in the northern division of the county.
     
  • This parish was an "ancient parish" of Leicestershire and it became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
     
  • Holwell was a Chapelry contained in this parish.
     
  • In March, 1884 this parish was reduced in size to establish Holwell as a separate civil parish. This reduced the size of Ab Kettleby parish by over 2,000 acres.
     
  • In April, 1936, the parish of Ab-Kettleby was enlarged by 1,408 acres with the abolition of Holwell as a Civil Parish.
     
  • In April, 1936, the parish of Ab-Kettleby was enlarged by 749 acres with the abolition of Wartnaby as a Civil Parish.
     
  • You may contact the local Ab Kettleby Parish Council regarding civic or political issues, but they are NOT staffed to answer family history questions.
     
  • For today's district governance, see the Melton Borough Council.
     
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Melton Mowbray petty session hearings.
     
  • As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, this parish became part of the Melton Mowbray Poorlaw Union.
     
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Population

 YearInhabitants
1801254
1821319
1841383
1871202
1881230
1891242
1901308
1911267
1921263
1931283
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Schools

  • A Public Elementary School was built here in 1863 and was enlarged in 1892 for 144 children.